ProfessorMenna Jones

A love of the natural world, and particularly the lives and intelligent personalities of our native carnivores, has fascinated Professor Menna Jones since she was a child. Today, she is working with scientists all over the world to save the critically endangered Tasmanian Devil. But it is not just the Devil whose life is on the line. The devil plays a vital role in the Tasmanian ecosystem. If the Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease forces the devil into extinction, it could also be harmful for many other Tasmanian species. Professor Menna Jones is working hard to ensure that doesn't happen. By gaining a deep understanding of how the devil interacts with other animals in the ecosystem, she can find the ecosystem's vulnerable places.

'When you lose an important species that interacts strongly with the broader food web, it upsets the balance of the whole system. This affects other species. If we understand these interactions, we can put plans in place to reset the natural balance,' said Professor Jones. 'If the devil disappears from the Tasmanian food web, it could allow alien species like feral cats to take hold. This will devastate native species further down the food chain.' Professor Jones is working with state and federal governments, farmers, communities, PhD students and other researchers across the globe to stop this from happening.

'Putting research into practice is where you make a difference. It is not enough to make the discoveries; you need to talk to the right people and make the necessary changes happen.' Professor Jones also talks to school and community groups about the importance of looking after our vulnerable ecosystems. 'Conservation starts at home and in your workplace or industry. We can all takes steps to look after our environment. It will reward us by being a more productive landscape.' Passionate about making ecological science accessible, Menna developed the online unit Backyard Biodiversity. The unit equips people with the ecological knowledge needed to understand how everyday actions in backyards, gardens, and local communities can make a meaningful contribution to biodiversity conservation.

Professor Jones says there is nowhere better on earth to study ecology than in Tasmania. 'Tasmania is a wonderful natural outdoor laboratory. The mammal fauna is largely intact. It has been less affected by invasive species and extinctions than in other places.